Magazine paper roll dispensing device



Sept. 15, 1-959 H. c. HICKS MAGAZINE PAPER ROLL DISPENSING DEVICE FiledFeb. 21, 1955 'ld c. Hicks.

H are ATTORNEY United States Patent O MAGAZINE PAPER- ROLL' DISPENSINGDEVICE Harold C} Hicks,-'Riversiile, CalifI, assignor to Gustave Miller,Washington, D.C. Application February 21-,-1955, Se'rial N0. 489,484"ream Giza-5513 This invention relates to a paper roll dispensing device,and particularly relates to a dispensing device of the magazine-typewherein when one roll of paper is used up, the positioning of a freshroll in dispensing position automatically eliminates the spool of theused-up roll.

Heretofore, rolls of paper such as paper toweling or toilet tissue havegenerally been provided on a single roll dispensing unit such as a wallbracket or the like, and when the roll had been used up, it wasnecessary to manually release the used-up roll and then manually inserta fresh roll. This was a time-consuming and bothersome chore.Furthermore, often it would be discovered that there were no furtherrolls immediately available. In order to overcome such difiiculties,various attempts have previously been made to provide dispensing unitsboth of the automatic and manually actuatable type wherein a pluralityof rolls were provided in a magazine or hopper to be available for usewhen needed; but all such previous attempts have had variousdisadvantages such as either being too bulky, complex and expensive tohave any real commercial significance, or were too flimsy and poorlyconstructed to advantageously serve the purpose.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a paperroll disposing device which automatically replaces a used-up roll ofpaper with a fresh roll.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a paper rolldispensing device which is constructed to hold a plurality of paperrolls, each of which is in a position to replace an adjacent used-uproll.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a paper rolldispensing device which is light in weight, consists of relatively fewparts, and is simple to operate.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a paper rolldispensing device, of the character described, that is easily andeconomically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which ishighly efficient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists inthe details of construction and combination of parts, as will be morefully understood from the following description when read in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a dispensing device embodying thepresent invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the device of Fig. 1, showing aroll of paper in dispensing position.

Fig. 3 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, but showing the automatic ejectionof the spool of a used-up roll by a fresh roll as it comes intodispensing position.

Fig. 4 is a front perspective view of the device.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line55 of Fig. 3.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar referencecharacters refer to similar parts, there is shown a dispensing device,generally designated 10, which comprises a rear wall 12 and a pair ofside walls 14 and 16. The top edges of the side walls 14 and 162,904,274 Patented' Sept. 15,; 1959 are downwardly'inclined from: therear wall, as shown" at 18*a'nd'20, ahd taper down toa-pair of flanges22 and2'4 whicli -ext'end' laterally from the-front edges of the-sidewar-1s 14'*and 16- respectively. These'frontflange's 22 arid 24 arespaced from each 'other to providea' front vertical slot '26:

The bo'ttom portioh of -each of the'side walls 14 and l'6i afr'eiriclineddowiiwardlyand inwardly, as at 28' 'and 30;. andare each'provid'ed 'with a pair of'spaced slits; as at 32,011 p6rtion 28,-and asat'lnfori portioi1 3v0: The area between' each pair of thesespacedslits' is provided with" a deperidingrportion extending below thelevel of the iii-' clined bottoni portion 'of therespective-side wall soas to form an arm; these arms being indicated at 36 and 38. Each of thearms is provided with an inwardly facing knob or spindle at the bottomend thereof, as at 40 and 42. These spindles face toward each other toprovide a lateral support for the spool of a paper roll. The entire unit.is preferably formed of spring metal or the like, so that the arms 36and 38 are actually spring arms biased toward the straight, verticalposition such as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. A pair of downwardly inclinedwedge cam portions 44 and 46 are provided centrally of the innersurfaces of the arms 36 and 38.

At the upper, central portion of the rear wall 12 there is provided ahole 48 which is adapted to hold a nail, screw or the like for thepurpose of hanging the device on a room wall or other support, while adownwardly inclined spring arm 50 extends from the inner surface of thelower end of the rear wall. This spring arm 50 is shown as cut out fromthe rear wall; however, such spring arm may also be a separate unitconnected to the rear wall.

The device, as can be readily seen from the drawing, comprises twofunctional parts, the first being a hopper or magazine for the extrarolls of paper and consisting of the rear, side and vertically splitfront walls, and having an open top for insertion of the paper rolls,while the second consists of the dispensing unit proper which is formedby the two spring arms 36 and 38.

As shown in Fig. 2, a roll of paper 52 having a hollow spool is kept indispensing position between the spring arms by the spindles 40 and 42which are inserted into either end of the spool, and are maintained inposition by the inherent resilience of the arms. At this time, thespring arm 50 acts to maintain the lowest roll in the magazine in spacedposition from the dispensing are-a. However, when the roll of paper isused up, the person using the device inserts his fingers through theslot 26 and pulls down on the next roll of paper 54, this action beingagainst the force of spring 50. As the roll 54 is brought down, it actsagainst the edge portions 44 and 46 to force the spring arms 36 and 38apart, as shown in Fig. 3. In this position, the empty spool 56 isreleased and drops away. Continued downward pressure on the roll 54brings its spool into the dispensing position between the spindles 40and 42 and permits the arms 36 and 38 to spring back into the lockingposition of Fig. 2 wherein they extend into either end of the spool.Meanwhile, the next roll 58 in the magazine comes into position upon thespring arm 50. At this time, another roll of paper may be insertedthrough the open top of the hopper.

Although the hopper or magazine is shown as adapted to hold two rolls ofpaper, this is for illustration only, since the device may beconstructed of any size desired to hold any number and size of rolls.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, suchdescription is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting,since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of theinvention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, whatis claimed is:

A paper roll dispensing device comprising a magazine hopper forsupporting a plurality of paper rolls wound on spools, said hopperhaving a front and rear wall and two side walls formed from a singleblank of spring sheet material, said front wall having an elongatedvertical slot therein permitting access therethrough, said hopper alsohaving an open top and an openbottom, a resilient arm integrallydepending below said hopper from each of said side walls, a spindle onthe inner surface of each of said arms for supporting a first roll, cammeans on the inner surface of each of said arms for camming saidspindles apart to drop the spool of said first roll supported thereon,said cam means being spaced vertically from said spindles, a resilientroll retaining means at the rear bottom portion of said hoppercooperating with said cam means for supporting a second roll wherebysaid second roll can be forced past said retaining means to operate saidcams to discharge the spool held by said spindles, and then to passbetween and be held by the opposed spindles, said cam means eachcomprising a downwardly and inwardly inclined wedge-shaped surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSDeifenbaugh Dec. 9, 1952

